on another new kick-ass thing

that you are doing in your world, Tracee Ellis Ross.

-You're doing amazing things. -Thank you. Thank you very much.

-No. For real. -Thank you. -(applause and cheering)

For real. Let's, um...

-Let's talk first about-about Mixed-ish. -I...

-Yeah, let's do it. -So, Black-ish, huge success.

-Yeah. -Right? And then Mixed-ish is a spin-off.

So there's-there's Black-ish, there's Grown-ish,

and then there's Mixed-ish.

-Yes. The Mixed-ish goes backward. -Right.

So it's my... my character Bow's childhood.

-Okay, about growing up as a mixed-race child -Yeah.

-in, like, a much earlier time in America. -The '80s.

-Right. -The binary '80s.

(affected): Good clothes. Good hair.

-Not. -You know what's interesting about,

like, that feeling and that time is, like, like,

being mixed-race becomes

-the really interesting narrative in America. -It does.

-Right? -Different where you're from.

Yeah, no, definitely. Where it's, like, it's...

you obviously have the one-drop rule

where it's, like, you're black immediately,

and then, like, people are like:

Oh, but sometimes I don't feel black.

Or: People tell me I'm not black enough.

Or what is black? How is that defined?

How does black count?

Like, is that ripe for comedy?

Sure. I mean, it's just like the subject matter on Black-ish. 00:01:00.559 --> 00:01:02.862 line:0% If you list the things that we've done 00:01:02.895 --> 00:01:05.331 line:0% as stories on Black-ish, you wouldn't think it was a comedy. 00:01:05.364 --> 00:01:07.834 line:0% -Right. -But I think that the things that we go through 00:01:07.867 --> 00:01:09.669 line:0% as human beings can be very funny. 00:01:09.702 --> 00:01:13.206 line:0% Um, Mixed-ish is the story of how I came to be 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:16.542 line:0% as Bow Johnson, but it's the story of a fish out of water, 00:01:16.575 --> 00:01:18.678 line:0% which all of us experience in many different ways.

-Right, right. -I think the beauty of it is,

when you're telling a mixed story,

you have these two different experiences,

two different heritages, two different worlds--

how do you, within that world, define yourself?

Um, and I think a lot of us experience that,

whether it's because you have two different races

or heritages that you come from,

um, but when you feel "other than."

Um, and I think that's a really interesting story

to navigate through, especially when you're looking

at the binary world of the '80s.

Have you ever felt "other than"?

-All the time. -What do you mean, all the time?

I feel like, you know, like you came from this world,

like, you know, Diana Ross's daughter,

and it just feels like you were just, like,

-in the mix all the time. -With guns just blazing?

Yeah, just, you know, just like...

It was the '80s! Yeah!

No. Um, no, it's a journey, it's like the journey with my hair.

I mean, yes, my mother and I come from a family

where my mom had natural hair, and-and I was supported

in loving myself as I am authentically,

but the world around me and the representation

and what I saw told me that my hair should be a different way

and that my beauty was defined

by a standard that I did not fit into.

-Interesting. -And so as a result, um,

I tried to beat my hair into submission,

make it look easy, breezy, bouncin' and behavin'--

why wouldn't it fall into... all these different things--

and I started this journey.

You could chronicle my journey of self-acceptance

through my journey with my hair.

It's interesting, 'cause if we see your hair now...

Like, when I... when I stalk you on social media,

-Oh, yeah. -I see everyone loves the hair.

Everyone's like, "Oh, my God, oh, I wish it were my hair,

wish it were my hair," and you had this amazing series of posts

where you put out, like, your journey

-Yeah. -of how you struggled with your hair, and, like,

relaxing the hair, straightening the hair,

-Yep -blowing out the hair, just trying to get it to not be

-what everybody loves. -To not be what it is.

-Well, what-what... what it is. -Yes.

And I think, you know, the standard of beauty

is steeped in patriarchy, racism, sexism,.

There was a standard of what things look like.

We are in a different time now,

as there's an exploration happening,

but these... people with my hair-- you--

we've existed for a long time.

(laughter)

(affected): We've been wearing our hair for ages.

Um, and I think the world is kind of waking up

-Right. -to our beauty and our power.

-I always... -I mean, did you ever wear your hair big?

Are you kidding? I always wanted to have my hair straight.

-Always. -See?

-No, really, 'cause I was... -And... and why?

'Cause in school, for instance, they would be like,

if your hair's curly, it's too...

-they were like, it's messy, it's ugly, -Yeah.

they were like, so, you know, teachers would be like,

-"Hey! Cut your hair." -"Be appropriate."

Yeah, but then, like, the white boys would have, like,

-that hair that's, like... -Falls in your face.

you know, the hair, like, where you could do the thing.

Yeah, and every time they tried to get your attention,

-they'd be like this. -Yeah, they'd do the thing.

-Yeah. -And then, like, if they say something, be like, poof,

-and the hair would... -I stood like this for a long time.

-Why? -'Cause that's the way the girls stood,

-'cause their hair would... -Oh, you wanted the hair to...

Yeah. It didn't do anything, but I would just be, like, yeah.

(laughter)

Whatever.

Oh, dear. Are you talking to me?

-Oh, that's so amazing. -Right?

So I-- yeah. So then, I went, and then I, like,

would even, like, try and relax my hair,

-and they burnt my scalp, and then, like, -Yes.

-you know when you do the whole thing in the salon, -Yes.

-and then they put the thing and they're like, -Yes.

-"Leave it in, leave it in!" -Yes. Until you're like,

-And you're like, "It's burning." -"Burning."

-And they're like, "Good. Good." But they're like, "Good,

-the more it burns, the straighter it becomes." -Yeah.

-Yeah. -And it's horrible.

"Let's, all of your heritage,

"everything that is you naturally,

let's burn it out of you." No!

So you have a new, you have a new hair care line

specifically designed...

For curly, coily and tight-textured hair.

-(whoops) -(whooping, cheering, applause)

-Look at that. -So that your hair

can be celebrated, nourished.

It can be healthy, hydrated,

happy, joyful and juicy.

Wow.

(whooping, cheering)

-Wow. -Just like that.

(both laughing)

I-- Wh-What is the difference?

That's one thing I've always wanted to know,

because I know, like, for instance, I had to learn,

very early on, that there are many hair care products

-you can't use with this kind of hair. -Yeah.

Like, you know when I learned is when

I first started traveling,

-I remember the first time I stayed in a hotel, -Oh.

-and there was shampoo, -(laughs) That's a bad mistake.

and then, like, this is just a rule, if you're a black person,

-you just don't use shampoo in a hotel. -Don't use it.

-Don't use it. -It's not bad,

it's just not made for your hair.

-It's like using a bar of soap. -Yes, and I didn't know this.

And I was like, "Oh, free shampoo."

And then afterwards, I was like, "Now I see why it's free."

And it was horrible.

So what-what makes your products different

for coi-- like, tight, coily...

-Curly, coily, -Curly, coily,

-tighter textures. -tighter textures. 00:05:26.158 --> 00:05:29.528 line:0% Yeah. Um, filled with ingredients 00:05:29.561 --> 00:05:31.731 line:0% -that are healthy and safe for your hair, -Ah. 00:05:31.764 --> 00:05:33.566 line:0% um, ingredients that nourish your hair, 00:05:33.599 --> 00:05:35.968 line:0% um, that-- I don't know if you are somebody 00:05:36.001 --> 00:05:38.371 line:0% with this kind of hair, you know that you want slippage.

You want clumping, you want curl activation.

-Wow. -Yeah.

You want hydration, you want moisture.

I hear a lot of "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."

That's what you want, Trevor.

So there's three conditioners, medium, heavy and intensive.

There is a hydrating shampoo that gently cleanses,

but does not strip the hair of moisture.

-This is fun. -Yeah.

There's two oil serums.

An argon serum, which I like to mix

with the leave-in conditioner.

There is also a jojoba serum, which is a blend of oils.

Those can be used on your scalp, on your hair dry,

or on your hair wet.

And then there's also a shower brush, a clip and a towel.

-(cheering) -And-- Look at this!

And a leave-in conditioner, because a lot of us,

because our hair needs moisture,

um, often don't rinse our conditioner completely out,

-which is actually not what you should do. -Wow.

Because the conditioner really should only be left

in your hair for as long as it is prescribed,

but when you finish rinsing,

you want that moisture to be still in your hair,

and you want to seal in the cuticle of the hair--

-this is such technical talk, guys. -Right.

-So that you can get the curl... -You want-- Yeah.

You want to seal it in and get that curl

to bounce up and be juicy and joyful.

-And so you get that leave-in-- -I want the bounce.

-I think you could use the leave-in conditioner. -Yeah.

-I'm not saying you need it. -I want the bounce.

No, but I would use it. I need it. Of course I need it.

You know what I'm talking about? The next thing you know,

-he's gonna come back and have... -I'm just gonna come

on the Daily Show with, like, curls,

just like, coming out of my hair.

-Just be like, "These are my curls." -Yeah.

I love the sound. Congratulations on the shows,

but, you know what, congratulations on just being,

like, a kickass everything.

-Oh, you're kind. -CEO, she's like...

president, creator of everything.

-President of everything. -No, I love the sound

of these products so much that,

if you look under your seats right now...

-He's... -You guys don't even believe me!

-We didn't-- First of all, -You didn't even look under--

-they didn't even flinch. -He went like,

"You're not Oprah, Trevor, don't look under your seat."

-They didn't even flinch. -Yeah, she was like,

"I know him, he's not Oprah.

He can't afford that."

Tracee Ellis Ross, everybody.